State won't enforce new abortion restrictions, for now

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana officials have agreed not to enforce several new restrictions on abortion pending a judge's decision on whether to block the laws.

The restrictions include a requirement for a 72-hour waiting period for many women, and a ban on a common second-trimester procedure called dilation and evacuation. They were to take effect Aug. 1.

Two clinics and three doctors filed a July 1 lawsuit against the new laws.

In court records filed last week, the state sought more time to evaluate the lawsuit and agreed it won't enforce the restrictions until a judge decides whether to grant a preliminary injunction blocking the law. That decision is months away. Baton Rouge-based U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Bourgeois Jr. signed an order Friday giving Louisiana until Dec. 16 to respond to the lawsuit.